April 3, 2012
What else should be on our radar for the summer?
March 20, 2012
Mark the calendar – March 31st
Have you been wanting to check out one of the Kansas State Parks? On March 31, all state parks will host a Free Park Entrance Day, with open-house in the offices, allowing visitors to purchase park permits on the last day of lower off-season pricing.
Explore the beaches, scope out the campgrounds, walk the trails and more during this once-a-year free day at the parks!
http://www.kdwpt.state.ks.us/news/State-Parks
March 14, 2012
Here are g2g’s Top Ten Ideas for Getting Outside during Spring Break 2012!
The WATER Center is a great place to spend an afternoon. Walk the nature trail, check out the newly rebuilt aquarium and all the huge fish inside, play a round of frisbee golf, or just have a picnic and listen to the birds. The museum is awesome! And, there are some new exhibits. Museum open hours are 1p-4:30p, MWF. 
Grab a camera, give one to your child and head outside to a nearby park or in your own backyard. Take pictures of what you think is pretty, what you think is not so pretty. Pictures of new leaves, old leaves, flowers blooming. Can you find a bird and snap a pic before it’s gone? What about a bug?
January 1, 2012
It’s the time of year when we all think about our lives and how we can improve them over the next year. We typically do this in the form of a New Year’s Resolution.
Wikipedia defines a New Year’s resolution as a commitment that a person makes to a lasting personal goal, project, or the reforming of a habit.
g2g challenges you to make a New Year’s Resolution that will be fun for your entire family! How about speding MORE time outdoors this year than you did last year?!?!
Think about how many hours per week you or your kids spent just playing outside this year (sports practices doesn’t count). Now, can you add an hour? How about doubling the time?
Our lives get pretty busy, so schedule outdoor play time! I know it seems contrary to the word “play,” to schedule it. But, if it’s on the calendar you wont be tempted to skip playtime or start doing something else instead. Once the kids are outside playing they will soon forget that this was a scheduled activity.
Save time for kids to play outdoors on their own, time together as a family, time exploring new places, and time just relaxing and observing the world around you.
Tell us what your outdoor play resolution is this year! Post in the comment section below!
Resolution Ideas:
The whole family will take time to read outside every Saturday as long as it is not too cold or rainy. (We have an umbrella and a tent, so we’ll even try in the rain!)
September 19, 2011
Curious about what to pack when taking your family camping?
What are my options cooking in the outdoors?
How do I keep my TV-loving kids from getting bored?
The “g2g Outside” crew has pooled their notes and done some research and has discovered a user-friendly website that answers these questions and more. If you are taking your first hike down the trail of family camping, check out http://www.familycampinggear.com/ for lists and ideas. We’ll bring along some of our tips and tricks to the “g2g Outside Family Camping” event on September 23, 2011.
Check out the g2g Car camping check list before you pack for your family’s next outting!
September 13, 2011
We have g2g events on the calendar for 2011-12 fall and winter. Check them out and join us! Click here for all the details. Mark your calendars now!
July 29, 2011
The buses are warming up, teachers are back in their classrooms, stores are starting to sell all those fun supplies…all this means that it’s almost time for school to start! But, school is not here yet, and if you’re running out of ideas to motivate your kids to play outdoors or on their own check out the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Park’s Wildlifer Challenge!
This is not for the lazy or weak at heart. These “challenges” will get your kids aware and active in the outdoors. And, there are prizes for completing 15 missions!!!
g2g can help you do LOTS of the challenges. We’re going fishing (one of the challenges) next week on Wednesday. You can pitch a tent at our camping event on Friday Sept 23. We blogged about catching fireflies. Did you do that? If yes, you’ve got one challenge already completed! Go on a Night Walk and find the big dipper (another Wildlifer Challenge). Or, you can canoe or kayak. Check out the local event that will help you complete this challenge! See how easy and fun this will be!
WARNING: if you’re the type of kid who loves to stay indoors, lazily perched on a nice, comfy couch while you text on your phone in front of a television with a game controller in your hand – all day, every day – you are about to be officially challenged!
THE WILDLIFER CHALLENGE:
Should you so choose, you will be taken on a journey of 15 outdoor challenges for you to complete. Upon completion, you will be recognized as an official Kansas WildLifer! The challenges you’ll encounter are not hard to complete if you have one ounce of “WildLifer” spirit inside you. Some challenges may only take you an hour to accomplish, while others may take an entire day. You’ll quickly realize that you are not like everyone else! You’re busting the norm wide open and living life to the fullest!
OUR MISSION:
PROVE to you that getting outside – beyond the playgrounds, ball fields and concrete sidewalks – is a blast!
YOUR MISSION:
PROVE to us that you’re not the kind of kid who wastes all of your valuable free time laying around inside the house all day. That’s not you. You like the thrill of adventure. The mystery of the unknown. Maybe even a little danger from time to time. The sense of freedom. You rock!
Exploring the outdoors will make you think for yourself. You have to be creative. Successful. Not because some video game congratulates you on completing another level, but because you PROVE IT TO YOURSELF with what you can do with a little determination and freedom in the wild outdoors!
PARENTAL WARNING: In today’s world, children are spending more time playing video games, texting, and watching TV than ever before. It’s not that all of these activities are necessarily bad, but anything in excess is usually not a good thing. And lying around the house – all day, every day – is literally killing America’s youth by contributing to an inactive lifestyle, which of course leads to obesity and other social and health problems in our communities. It’s not good. Children all over America are missing out on the opportunities to experience nature, wildlife and the outdoors simply because the experiences have been removed from our culture over time.
PARENTS’ MISSION:
If you look at these challenges and think “I’ve done this before. This will be easy”, consider yourself very fortunate. Someone, somewhere along your life’s journey encouraged and supported you as you explored the outdoor world. And that’s now your mission: to be that someone in your child’s outdoor life and experiences.
If when you see these challenges your lip starts to snarl, your brow starts to furrow and your skin starts to crawl, take a deep breath and relax. We’re not asking for much here, and we truly believe that you’ll enjoy yourself. Today, instead of being outdoors, many people choose to stay in their comfortable little electronic worlds. Think about it. It’s a proven fact that kids today spend record amounts of time staring at video games, cell phones and televisions. What about you? Maybe it’s not a video game, but instead it’s your computer or cell phone. And maybe you need to become a WildLifer too! Two birds with one stone…perfect!
June 17, 2011
I read a great article in Outside Magazine this month. It’s all about how important it is for parents to model outdoor play & recreation for their children.
You’ve seen kids copy their parents by pretending to mow the lawn, cook, and talk on the phone. These are all expamples of work, which is a great thing to teach children. However, shouldn’t parents also teach kids to play?
If you are active in outdoor recreation your kids will want to be outside and create outdoor habits and hobbies too.
Check out the “Father Plays Best” article for more details about how you as a dad (or mom) can incorporate your kids into your outdoor hobbies, exercise and adventures. Just because you’re a parent doesn’t mean you have to stay inside!
Here is a quick summary of my favorite parts of the article:
build habits of exercise and outdoor appreciation. Last fall we hiked in the mountains with a 3 and 1 & 1/2 year old. Forget the fancy kidcarriers, those Kansas kiddos hiked up and down those hills the whole way, we took a few extra breaks but they did awesome! (Safety Tip: bring those babies along, but make sure that their neck muscles are strong enough for the type of activity you’re doing.) What activities to you like to do with your kids outside? What adventure are you going to take your kids on next?
HAPPY FATHERS DAY!
February 28, 2011
Moms, would you like your children to be interested, engaged and comfortable with the outdoors? Do you wonder if you outdoor skills are up to par?
Well, look no further. Simply take a few days away and learn all sorts of fun outdoor-skills that will make family outings comfortable, safe, and memorable for your family. Take the Becoming an Outdoor Woman Workshop May 13-15 at Rock Springs 4-H Center, Junction City, KS
Check out Becoming an Outdoors Woman for more information and to register. This weekend is an educational opportunity that teaches hands-on outdoor skills to adult women (18 and over) in a safe, supportive atmosphere. Workshops are designed especially for women who are beginers, so no experience is necessary. Equipment and instruction are provided. This is a Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks program.
Classes you can take include: fishing, tent camping, float tubing, canoeing, wilderness survival, archery, fly tying and fishing, dutch oven and open campfire cooking, leadership, backpacking basics, birdwatching, dyeing with native plants, hunting, wild game cooking, steam ecology, gun safety, and sports dogs.
February 14, 2011
Your mission should you choose to accept it is to go stargazing. Stargazing can be an inexpensive hobby and a great way to appreciate the beauty of the night sky. You should be able to see about 8,000 stars without a telescope!
First, find the big dipper. The tip of the cup of the big dipper points to the North Star. The North Star is the beginning of the handle of the little dipper. These constellations will help you to locate many others in the sky.
Mission Report: Stargazing
How can knowing where the North Star is help you if you are lost in the wilderness?
What is the name of the constellation of your birthday month? Hint: some people also call it your horoscope. Can you find it in the night sky? Why or why not?
